The New Duke of Hazzard
by Amerique
Summary: Tragedy strikes the Duke family. How will the one Duke it affected the most cope with the loss of the two people he was closest to? OOC Out Of Character
1. Chapter 1: A Duke Family Reunion

**_Title: A New Duke of Hazzard_**

**_Summary: Tragedy strikes the Duke family. How will the one Duke it affected the most cope with the loss of the two people he was closest to?_**

_**OOC (Out Of Character) **_

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**Chapter 1: A Family Reunion**

It was a cold winter day in Hazzard County. It had been one of the coldest winters in Hazzard since the oldest citizens of the county were children themselves. Everyone had prepared for the snowstorm that was expected to hit later that night, and therefore were all in their houses. All that is except for two people at the Duke farm.

Several people, all of which were Dukes, were having a good time at the family reunion Jesse Duke held every year. Jesse's oldest brother, who was also the last surviving brother of Jesse, was outside looking for his son, Beauregard.

Beauregard, a.k.a. Bo, had taken off and went outside after him and his oldest cousin, Luke, had gotten into one of their usual fights, leading to Bo's feelings being hurt and him in tears. Luke was almost five years older then Bo, and had always disliked his youngest cousin for reasons unknown to everyone but himself.

Jonathan went out to the large barn and went inside when he heard the unmistakable sound of crying coming from inside. Sighing, Jonathan went about looking for his son.

Bo was sitting in a corner, his knees up to his chest and his arms around his knees. His face was hidden in his knees as he cried. Jonathan found Bo, went over to him, and sat next to him. He put an arm around his 15-year-old son and hugged him.

"Hey sport, what's the matter?" Jonathan asked in a soft voice. Bo leaned against his father, and wiped his eyes.

"Luke hit me again." Bo said in a quiet voice. Jonathan sighed and looked at Bo. "You can't keep letting him do that." He said.

"How am I supposed to fight back when he's bigger and stronger then me?" Bo asked looking up at his father.

"Well, you could tell an adult nearby."

"No one listens, but you and momma."

"What about yer Uncle Jesse?"

"He's busy."

"Well, tell ya what, I'll go talk to your uncle about Luke and in the mean time, you go have a good time."

"Okay." Bo said as he wiped his eyes again. Jonathan smiled at his son and rubbed his arm.

"C'mon, let's go inside then. It's pretty cold out here." Jonathan said as he stood up. Holding out a hand, Jonathan helped Bo up and together the two of them went inside.

The inside of the farmhouse was alive with chatter. All the women were working in the kitchen, preparing dinner, while the men were in the lounge talking. Jonathan smiled at his wife as she went over to him and gave him a quick kiss.

"Hey sweetheart." Jonathan greeted after he had returned the kiss.

"Hey yourself." Sara greeted.

"Have you seen Jesse? I need to talk to him about Luke." Jonathan said.

"Last I saw he was in the lounge with the other guys. Why, is Luke being mean to Bo again?"

"Yeah, Bo told me Luke hit him again."

"I honestly don't know why those two can't get along. I mean the rest of the kids get along just fine." Sara said with a sigh. Jonathan nodded his head in response.

"Well, I best go find Jesse." Jonathan said. Sara and Jonathan kissed again before Jonathan went to find his brother.

Bo had walked over to the kitchen table and was sneaking some pieces of ham from the large tray in the middle of the table. Sara looked over, saw what Bo was doing, and sighed.

"Bo, what're you doing?" Sara asked in a kind voice. Bo looked up as he stuck a piece of ham in his mouth. Sara smiled a little and shook her head.

"Hunny, wait until dinner." Sara said. Bo looked down and sighed. "Yes ma'am." He replied. Sara smiled at him, and then went back to cooking. When Sara was not looking, Bo snuck another piece of ham before he went to find something to do. When he got to the lounge, he found his father and uncle talking about Luke. Deciding to avoid them incase they wanted to ask him questions, Bo walked behind several people until he was clear of the lounge.

Luke had been in his room, trying to calm himself down after his last fight with Bo. Once he was calm enough to be around other people, he had gotten off his bed and went to find something to do. Walking out of his room, one of the first people he saw were some of his other cousins talking and joking around. Smiling at them as he passed, Luke walked out to the living room. The next person he saw was Bo, standing by himself near the doorway to the kitchen. Frowning at him, Luke turned away and went to find something else to do.

A couple of hours later, dinner was ready. As the women called the men and kids in to eat, Bo and Luke had come through the doorway at the same time and were headed for the same seat.

Since Luke was bigger and stronger then Bo, he pushed the younger Duke out of the way, forcing him to go find another seat. Spotting a seat next to his parents, Bo headed there and luckily, he was able to get the seat.

When everyone was seated and quiet, Jesse waited for everyone to bow their heads. When they did so, he began to say grace. Not long after the Amen's were said, everyone started eating. As everyone was eating, all the men were commenting on the women's cooking. As the Dukes gossiped inside, outside, the snow had started falling as the sun set. Within an hour, there was almost a foot of snow on the ground.

As dinner wound down and the clean up started, Bo was the first to notice the snow outside. Standing by the front door, he looked outside and watched the snowfall. He watched it for a little while, before turning to go find his parents.

Jonathan and Sara were in the lounge, helping Jesse and Daisy clean up. When the youngest Duke came in, everyone looked up and smiled at him.

"Hey there sugar." Daisy greeted. Unlike him and Luke, Bo and Daisy got along just fine.

"Hi Daisy." Bo said, returning the greeting. Turning to his parents, Bo waited until they had both stopped cleaning for a minute.

"Momma, daddy?" Bo said. Jonathan and Sara looked over at him.

"Yes hun?" Sara said kindly.

"I think we'd better be going." Bo replied.

"Why's that?" Sara asked.

"There's snow on the ground and it's starting to snow harder." Bo said.

"Well, I think we better. We got a ways to go." Jonathan said standing up.

"Alright, now you guys be careful out there and call when you get home." Jesse said.

"We will." Jonathan said. Jesse nodded and finished the last bit of clean up. Sara went to Jesse's room to retrieve their coats, hats, and gloves. When she came back out, she handed Jonathan his things, then handed Bo his.

Once the three of them were ready, they bid everyone farewell and headed out. Bo and Sara got in Jonathan's old Plymouth, while Jonathan cleaned the snow off the windows. Once that task was done, he got in, started the car, and turned the heater on. Jonathan waited until the car was warm, before pulling away from the Duke farm. While Sara and Jonathan talked in the front seat, Bo looked out the windshield, watching the snow falling. He was mesmerized as he watched the snowflakes falling and flying around like bugs in the headlights.

He was brought out of his trance some time later, when he felt the car move oddly. He looked at his father, who had gotten quiet.

"What's going on?" Bo asked when he saw his father jerk the wheel.

"There's black ice on the road." Jonathan said. "Buckle up to be safe incase we slide off the road into the ditch." He finished. Bo nodded his head and proceeded to do so. He was about to fasten his seatbelt, when the car slid again. Jonathan tried to slow down, but lost control of the car. As the car skidded on the frozen road, it picked up speed as it started going down a small hill with a sharp curve at the bottom.

Jonathan tired desperately to slow the car, but unfortunately, the icy roads had taken over. Bo was so busy trying to hold on, that he had forgotten about his seatbelt. Jonathan saw the curve ahead and tried to turn the wheel so they would go around it. The car did turn, but because of the ice, it skidded sideways, and over the side of the road. The second the car hit the edge, there was no stopping it from rolling.

As the windows broke from the force of the car's weight crushing the top, Bo was thrown out and left in the snow on the embankment.

Because Jonathan and Sara were wearing their belts, they were still trapped in the car when it finally came to a stop at the bottom. Not long after the car stopped, smoke started coming from the engine and soon after, there was a small fire.

Bo was out cold for nearly ten minutes. By that time, the fire had gotten bigger and his parents were still trapped inside. When Bo did start coming around, the first thing he noticed was his body hurt and his joints were stiff. Slowly getting up onto his hands and knees, Bo waited for the world to stop spinning before he tried to move more.

The wind started to blow again and with it, it brought the smell of smoke and gasoline. When Bo got a whiff of them, he quickly turned around and his eyes got wide when he saw his father's car upside down and flames coming out of the bottom. Bo attempted to get up, but in doing so, made his world start spinning again. By the time the dizzy spell passed, the fire had gotten bigger and was close to igniting the gasoline that was leaking from the tank.

No sooner had Bo taken off down the embankment to try saving his parents, the car exploded, sending Bo flying backwards into the snow-covered ground. Once Bo was brought out of his daze, he watched in horror as what was left of the car, burned along with his parents.

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**_A/N: Yes, I know, Bo's parents were supposed to have died when he was little in the show, and that Luke would never be mean to Bo for no reason. The reason he is though, will be made clear later in the story. _**

**_BTW, I'll try to update regulary, but I can't promise anything. Chapter 2 should be quick since it's done, along with chapter 3._**

_**In the mean time, please be kind and feed the Terrible Trio (Iggy, Skippy, and Godzilla.) They're hungry for reviews.**_


	2. Chapter 2: The Phone Call

**Chapter 2: The Phone Call**

A nearby farmer, who was about to go to bed, had heard the explosion and went outside to see smoke rising from a fire down the road. Getting his pickup, the farmer headed to the scene of the accident. What would have normally taken only a few minutes, ended up taking nearly ten minutes because of the roads.

When he got to the location of the fire, his stomach seemed to turn summersaults when he saw what had been the source of the explosion. Getting out of his truck after stopping it, the kind old farmer hurried down the embankment, and stopped when he saw Bo sitting in the snow, staring at the fire, tears streaking his icy cold cheeks. Doubting that whoever was in the car could be saved, the man hurried over to Bo.

Kneeling down next to the young boy, the farmer took off his own coat and attempted to put it around Bo's shoulders. However, when Bo felt the farmer's touch, he quickly jerked away and scrambled to his feet, and running away as fast as his stiff joints would move. The farmer went after him, but soon lost him when Bo went into the woods. Because it was dark and still snowing, the farmer could not follow him. With a sad sigh, the farmer headed back to his truck to call for a fire truck, ambulance, and the local police.

It took nearly an hour for help to arrive and by that time, the fire in car was almost out. As the firefighters put out the fire, and the paramedics waited until it was safe for them to go down, the farmer was telling the police about Bo, and how he had taken off. Once the farmer was done, one of the officers called for help in search of Bo, knowing he would probably have some injuries.

While all that was going on, Bo was running blindly through the woods. He had no idea what to do or where to go. All he knew was he was truly alone and he was scared more then, than he had ever been in his entire life. Because of the darkness and snow blinding him, he didn't see the old gopher hole up ahead. When his foot got stuck in the hole, he fell and tumbled down a small ditch. When Bo got to the bottom, he hit his head on an old tree that had fallen a few years earlier, and that was the last he remembered as darkness over took him.

Nearly an hour and a half had passed since the accident, and a search team had been sent into the woods, going in the direction Bo had been seen going. The team consisted of several police officers and their police dogs.

They were about to call it quits for the night, when one of the dogs picked up Bo's scent. The dog started pulling it's master in the direction Bo's scent went. After several minutes of jogging, the dog finally locked in on Bo and ran down the same ditch Bo had fallen down. The officer followed close behind and his flashlight around until he spotted his dog, standing above something. Going closer, the officer saw that it was indeed Bo. Kneeling down next to the unconscious boy, the officer carefully took him in his arms and held him close, hoping to warm him up even a little. Knowing he couldn't let Bo stay out in the cold longer then he needed to, the officer quickly, but carefully climbed up the side of the ditch. Once at the top, he took a quick breather and the proceeded to carry Bo back to where the ambulance was still waiting.

Once the officer got back to the ambulance, the paramedics quickly took over. Wrapping Bo in several blankets after placing him on a stretcher, the paramedics loaded Bo in the back and took off to the hospital.

Almost seven hours after the accident, and six since Bo was found and taken to the hospital, Jesse Duke had gotten a phone call.

Getting up from his favorite chair, where he'd been sitting and waiting for his brother to call, Jesse answered the phone. "Duke Farm, Jesse speaking." He greeted.

"Mr. Duke, this is Dr. Thompson over at Tri County Emergency." The man on the other end said. Jesse got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach when he found out he was walking to a doctor from Tri County Emergency.

"Um, yeah, what can I do fer ya?" Jesse asked in as normal a tone as possible.

"Mr. Duke, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it seems that your brother, Jonathan Duke, his wife, Sara, and son, Beauregard, were in an accident earlier this evening." Dr. Thompson said. Jesse paled at that news. It took him several minutes to find his voice. Once he did, he cleared his throat a bit before speaking. "Are…are they alright?" He asked.

"I'm sorry to say that Jonathan and Sara didn't survive. However, their son did, and he's here now being treated. If you'd wish to come see him, he should be in a room by the time you arrive."

"Alright. Thank ya Dr. Thompson."

"It's alright, and I'm deeply sorry about your loss." The doctor said sincerely.

"Thank ya. Bye." Jesse said as he hung the phone up. Jesse ran a hand through his white hair and went over to his chair and sat down in it heavily.

Daisy and Luke had heard Jesse talking to someone on the phone and went out to see what was going on.

"Uncle Jesse? Is something wrong?" Daisy asked when she saw the look on her uncle's face. Jesse looked up at them, tears streaking down his face.

"Kids that was Tri County Emergency. Your Aunt Sara, Uncle Jonathan, and Cousin Bo, were in an accident earlier." Jesse said, trying to sound as calm as he could. Daisy put a hand to her mouth and stood next to Luke.

"Is Uncle Jonathan and Aunt Sara ok?" Luke asked, sounding worried. Jesse shook his head slowly.

"They, um…they didn't make it." Jesse said sadly. Daisy and Luke hugged each other as Daisy started crying. After several minutes, Jesse stood up. "C'mon kids, we need ta go to the hospital. Your cousin is there right now." He said as headed to his room to get ready. Daisy nodded and followed her uncle until she got to her room. Luke went to his room as well and got ready.

Once they were all ready, they went outside and headed fro the hospital, never once going over 10 MPH.

What would've taken only a half hour on a normal day, took almost two because of the icy roads. The snow had finally nearly stopped and there were just some flurries falling around. Once Jesse got to the hospital, he parked his old pickup as close as he could to the entrance to the ER. Getting out, the three Dukes headed inside.

Luke and Daisy followed Jesse to the front desk, where he proceeded to ask about Bo. After waiting a few minutes, the secretary finally found the information they had on Bo. Once he knew the room Bo was in, Jesse led Luke and Daisy back to the room. The door to Bo's room was closed, to help keep it warm inside. Knocking on the door once they'd found the room, Jesse opened the door and went inside.

If not for the fact Bo's hair was visible from under the pile of blankets that were covering him, one would've thought the room was empty. Crossing the short distance from the door to the bed, Jesse pulled up a chair and sat next to Bo, while Daisy and Luke stood by the closed door. Jesse gently smoothed some of Bo's blonde curls as he watched his young nephew sleep.

After a short while of watching Bo, the younger boy started to stir. Getting a feeling there was someone in the room other then a doctor, Bo slowly moved the blankets away from his eyes and looked around. Jesse looked at him and smiled softly.

"Hey there kiddo." Jesse greeted. Bo didn't say anything, he just blinked a couple of times before looking away from Jesse and looking to the other two people in the room. When his eyes settled on Luke, Bo covered his eyes back up and moved a little under the blankets to get warm and comfortable. Not long after that, a doctor came in to check up on Bo. Jesse moved out of the doctor's way as he started checking Bo's vitals and writing them down on his clipboard. After that was done, the doctor knelt down next to the bed and spoke in a soft tone. "Bo, its Dr. Thompson. I'm here to check up on you again." He said. After a minute, Bo moved the blankets away from his face, making the bandages he had on his face visible. Dr. Thompson smiled kindly at Bo and helped him sit up so he could check him over again.

While Bo was sitting up, he had started shivering and crossed his arms in front of him as he leaned forward enough to cover his arms with his body. Dr. Thompson grabbed a blanket from the pile and wrapped it around Bo's shoulders once he'd finished listening to his breathing and heartbeat.

"Your doing good Bo, we're almost done, then you can lay back down, okay?" Dr. Thompson said. When he got a nod from the young blonde, he went back to checking him over. Once he was done with the check up, Dr. Thompson went about changing the bandages on Bo's face, arms, legs, and chest. After that was done, Dr. Thompson helped Bo lay back down before covering him back up. Once Bo was taken care of, the kind doctor turned to Jesse. "Mr. Duke, I'd like to have a word with you in my office." Jesse nodded his head and stood up, then followed the doctor out of the room and to his office.

Once there, the doctor allowed Jesse to go in first. Once Jesse was inside, Dr. Thompson went n and closed the door.

"What did you need to talk to me about?" Jesse asked, even though he had a feeling he knew.

"Mr. Duke, I haven't had the chance yet to tell you the extent of Bo's injuries." Seeing Jesse nod his head, the doctor continued. "Well, we've found that he had very minor injuries considering how bad I was told the wreck was. The minor injuries he has sustained are some bruises and a couple of bruised ribs. He has a second-degree burn on the right side of his face, along with numerous cuts and scrapes. The worst injuries, not counting the burn, are a sprained ankle and a concussion." Jesse nodded his head again as he let what the doctor said sink in.

"When will Bo be released?" Jesse asked.

"Within the next couple of days. I want to keep him here just to be safe and to give him a chance to come out of his shock some. But, because you are not his legal guardian, I cannot release him to you're care." Jesse sighed and looked down for a minute. "Where will he go?" He asked.

"Someone from the county orphanage will come by once he's released and pick him up." The doctor said. Jesse nodded his head.

"Is there anything else you need to tell me?" Jesse asked.

"No, not at the moment. If I need any information or have something for you to know, I'll let you know."

"Alright, thank ya doctor." Jesse said as he stood up and shook the doctor's hand. He then turned and walked out of the room, and headed back to Bo's room.

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	3. Chapter 3: The Days After

**Chapter 3: The Days After **

Three days after the accident, Bo was released from the hospital. An elderly man, who worked at the county orphanage, came to pick Bo up and take him to the orphanage. Bo had shown improvements physically, but mentally, he hadn't. In the three days since the accident, Bo hadn't spoken more then one word, and that was his first name when he'd first been brought into the hospital.

As the man walked out of the hospital, with Bo following quietly behind, he tried to get Bo to talk, but to no avail. By the time they exited the hospital, the man had given up. Leading Bo to his car, the man had him sit in the back. Once Bo was in and ready to go, the man got in and drove to the orphanage. By that time, the snowstorm had passed and the roads had been cleared and salted, which made the drive quicker then it would have before. Halfway to the orphanage, the man had to stop due to an accident caused by the roads.

Bo had been looking out the window, when he saw the accident. As he stared at the car stuck upside down in the ditch, he started having flashbacks of the night his parents were killed. As he was having the flashbacks, Bo started getting upset, which caused his breathing to quicken, and his body to start shaking. Without warning, Bo opened the door and took off down the road, dodging in and out of traffic.

The man got out quickly and ran after Bo, hoping to catch him before he got hit by a car. Because Bo had had such a big head start, the man soon lost him in the traffic and crowds. Running back to his car, the man CB'd for help in finding the runaway Duke.

Bo ran as fast and as long as he could before he had to stop and rest. By that time, he was almost four blocks from where the man was. Bo hid in an alleyway behind some trashcans, where he rested. He leaned his head back against the brick wall of the building behind him as he started crying. It was quiet at first, but soon anyone who walked by close enough could hear him. However, no one stopped to see if Bo was all right. Eventually, Bo cried himself to sleep, surrounded by several large trashcans and a dumpster.

Around that same time, the man from the orphanage was looking for Bo, with the help of the local law. They had split up and were currently searching for the run away Duke boy. They hadn't been having any luck, but knew they couldn't give up until he was found. One of the officers who was helping, ran by the same spot Bo was sleeping in, when he heard one of the bags of trash make noise. Knowing it wasn't the wind, since it wasn't blowing at the time, the officer went to investigate incase it was indeed Bo.

Sure enough, the moment the officer looked behind the trashcans, he saw Bo, curled up behind the cans and shivering from the cold. The officer hurried over to the young boy and quickly took him in his arms.

"Hey there kiddo, time to wake up." The officer said as he gently shook Bo. Bo opened his eyes a little and looked up at the stranger holding him. The officer looked down at Bo and smiled softly. Not in the mood to struggle or move for that fact, Bo just rested against the officer and closed his eyes. Seeing that Bo wasn't going to go anywhere, the officer called his friends and the man, letting them know he'd found Bo and that he was safe and sound.

When the rest of the officers and the man arrived where Bo was, the man thanked the police and took Bo. Helping him up and putting a supportive arm around Bo's shoulders, the man led him back to his car, where they'd hopefully finish the trip to Hazzard without any more problems.

The funeral for Jonathan and Sara Duke was held exactly one week after the accident that had taken their lives. Jesse, Daisy, and Luke were at the farm, getting ready to pick up Bo from the orphanage and take him to the church where the funerals were taking place. If it had been any other day, Luke would've complained about picking up Bo and taking him with them, but since it was his parent's funerals, he kept his mouth shut out of respect.

Once the Dukes were ready, they headed to the county orphanage, where Bo and Mr. Edwards, the same man who had picked him up from the hospital days before, were waiting. Like at the hospital, Bo hadn't said a word to anyone, and the words he did speak were from a nightmare, what it was about, no one knew since Bo didn't talk about them.

When the Dukes arrived at the orphanage, Jesse had the kids wait in the pickup, while he went to get Bo. Bo had gone back to his room minutes before Jesse had arrived, leaving Mr. Edwards alone to wait. Upon entering the old building, Jesse saw his old friend and walked over to him.

"Sam, it's good to see you again." Jesse greeted as he shook his friend's hand.

"Likewise, Jesse." Sam said. "Bo is in his room."

"Alright, thank ya." Jesse said.

"Jesse, have you told him or the other kids yet?"

"No, not yet. I was thinking I'd surprise them after the funeral."

"That's quite true. I must say though, I'm worried about the poor boy. He's hardly spoken a word or eaten a thing since he came." Sam said, sounding very concerned. Jesse nodded his head in response. "Hopefully the wall he's put up around himself will fall soon and he'll let others help him through this."

"I just pray that you're right and that it happens before he does something he'll regret." Sam replied. At that moment, there were several screams coming from down the hall. Looking at Jesse, Sam took off down the hall with Jesse close behind.

When they got to the source of the screams, they saw Bo and another boy fighting. Going in quickly, the two adults quickly separated the boys, Jesse taking Bo and Sam taking the other boy. Once the boys were calmed down, Sam made the other kids who had witnessed the fight, leave. Sam excused himself as he led the older boy out of the room, leaving uncle and nephew alone.

Bo clung to Jesse's suit as he cried. Jesse hugged his nephew close, trying to calm the boy. When Jesse wasn't hearing anything but hiccups and an occasional sob, he led the young blonde over to one of the seats in the room.

"Now, you wanna tell me what happened?" Jesse asked softly. When all Bo did was shake his head, Jesse let out a sigh. "Bo, you can't shut everyone out forever. There's people trying to help you, but they can't if you don't let them."

"I just want momma and daddy to come back." Bo said, saying his first complete sentence in over a week.

"Oh Bo, I'd do anything to bring them back, you know that. But it was just their time to go." Jesse said softly.

"Why couldn't I have been in the car when it blew up? I could be with them now." Bo mumbled to himself.

"Now Bo, don't you go saying that. You were thrown out of that car for a reason."

"What reason? To stay here and suffer?"

"Bo, you're only going to suffer if you never let anyone help you."

"I don't want help; I just want my parents back!" Bo yelled as he stood up.

"Bo calm down, please." Jesse said calmly as he stood up as well.

"Don't tell me to calm down! You didn't see your parents die right in front of your eyes, when there was something you could've done to help!" Bo yelled as tears of anger and sadness slipped down his cheeks like mini rivers. When Jesse heard what Bo yelled, he suddenly understood the second part of Bo's problem no one had been able to figure out.

"Bo, there wasn't anything you could've done. If you-"

"If I didn't take my time they'd be here!" Bo interrupted. Bo was about to take off, when Luke and Daisy came into the room, after having heard about what happened. Not seeing any other way out, Bo fell to his knees and cried again. Jesse and Daisy went over to comfort him, while Luke stayed in the doorway, watching with a disgusted look on his face. After a few minutes, Bo quieted down and was soon asleep. Jesse picked up Bo, carried him to his room, and gently placed him on the bed. He then had Daisy go find something to clean Bo's face with.

When Daisy came back, Jesse took the damp cloth and started to gently clean Bo's face. Once that task was done, Jesse sat and watched Bo sleep. Hs heart ached for his young nephew, knowing the pain he must be going through was enough to make Jesse want to hug the boy and not let go.

Jesse sat with Bo for nearly an hour, before he looked at the clock and received a sad reminder of where he needed to go. Sighing sadly, Jesse got up and looked at Bo's sleeping form before he walked out. Luke and Daisy had gone back out to the truck minutes before, and were waiting patiently for their uncle. Once Jesse appeared from the front entrance, Luke started the engine and waited for him to get in. once the eldest Duke was in, Luke put the pickup in gear and was about to head out, when Bo came outside, looking like a scared child. If not for the fact Daisy and Jesse were in the truck, Luke would've taken off without Bo.

Upon seeing Bo come outside, Jesse told Luke to wait. Jesse was about to get out, when Bo started walking over to the truck. Once he was next to the pickup, Bo climbed in the bed and sat down. Getting the 'ok' from Jesse, Luke headed out. Luke looked in the rearview mirror and watched Bo, who was sitting next to the tailgate and watching the road pass quickly from under him. Rolling his eyes, Luke went back to watching the road.

When the trip to the church was complete, Jesse, Daisy, and Luke got out of the pickup and headed inside. Jesse stopped half way and noticed Bo was still sitting in the bed of the truck. Going back over to him, Jesse put a hand on Bo's shoulder. Bo looked at the hand on his shoulder, and then at the arm it was attached to, followed by the person the hand and arm belonged to.

"Ready to go, kiddo?" Jesse asked. Bo shook his head and looked down. Jesse could understand Bo's behavior and watched him. After several minutes, Bo got to his feet, jumped out of the truck, and slowly headed inside. Jesse watched him a minute before following.

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	4. Chapter 4: Surprises

**Chapter 4: Surprises**

When Bo stepped inside the crowded church, he felt a sense of panic arise inside of him. Fighting the urge to run back outside, Bo walked forward with Jesse close behind. No sooner had he stepped past the first group of people, he was surrounded by people, he either didn't know, or just barely knew, all saying how sorry they were about his parent's passing. During that time, Bo just wanted to curl up and disappear. Truth be told, he didn't want to be there, but knew he had to be if he wanted to pay his respects, and to say goodbye.

Every time Bo thought he was going to get out of the crowds that made him nervous, he'd find himself in another, being told mostly the same things as before. After what seemed like an eternity to Bo, everyone had spoken to him, and it was time for the preacher and anyone else who wanted to speak, to do so.

Finding a seat near the front, the Dukes sat there and listened as numerous people walked up and told everyone what they either had done with Jonathan and Sara, or to show their respects to Jesse, Daisy, Luke, and Bo. As Bo listened, he started having trouble keeping his emotions under control. Seeing the silent fight his nephew was fighting, Jesse pulled the younger boy into a comforting hug. Bo leaned against Jesse and sighed sadly.

After everyone was finished speaking, and everything else was finished, several men got things ready to go to the cemetery. Once everything was ready and the coffins were in the hearses, everyone headed to the Duke family cemetery behind the Duke farm. Bo was silent the whole way.

Once they got to the cemetery, there was another smaller service. Some of the snow had melted from the week before, and it was still cold, which made it uncomfortable to sit outside, but no one complained about it. As the preacher was talking, and the coffins were being lowered into the ground, Bo couldn't hold back the tears any longer. Jesse saw that Bo was crying and hugged him close and started whispering soothing words to him.

Once the preacher was finished speaking, him and another person went around handing out red roses. Once the roses were handed out, everyone got up and stood inline between the graves. One by one, everyone dropped a rose into each grave and said a few words. When it was finally Bo's turn, he stopped and looked at the graves. Hesitantly, he dropped the roses with the rest and whispered goodbye. When that was done, he slowly walked over to Jesse. Jesse put his arm around Bo's shoulders and gently rubbed his arm.

"C'mon kiddo lets go." Jesse said softly. When he got a nod from Bo, he walked Bo to the pickup. Daisy and Luke got in after Bo. Once everyone was in and ready, Jesse headed out.

A few minutes later, Bo noticed they weren't heading for the orphanage. Looking around, he saw they were on a road he'd been on only a few times, he turned to Jesse.

"Where're we going?" Bo asked, sounding a tad nervous. Hearing the nervousness in Bo's voice, Jesse smiled a little and put a hand on his shoulder. "We're going home." He said.

"Home?" Bo asked, not really knowing where he meant. Jesse nodded as he continued driving. Bo looked at Jesse a minute longer before turning to look back out the window. A few more miles and several minutes later, Jesse pulled to a stop at the Duke farm. Bo was surprised when they pulled up to the farm. Bo had honestly thought his uncle would've taken him back to the orphanage. Shrugging it off, Bo followed everyone inside. Seeing his nephews and niece were inside, Jesse herded them all into the living room. Motioning everyone to sit down, Jesse took a seat in his favorite red chair and waited patiently.

When everyone was seated, Jesse started speaking. "Kids, I just wanted to tell you, that Bo here is going to be living with us from now on."

Daisy and Luke looked at each other, and then to Bo, who had a look of shock on his face. Daisy was the first to get up. She walked over to Bo and hugged him.

"Its gonna be fun having you here." Daisy said as she kissed Bo's forehead. Bo smiled a little and nodded his head. Daisy hugged him a minute longer, then sat back down. Luke looked at Bo and shook his head.

"Just don't bug me and we'll get along." Luke said as he got up. Everyone watched as Luke went into the kitchen and sat down that the table.

Bo sighed and looked at the floor for a bit, then stood up.

"Where're you going?" Jesse asked, watching his nephew.

"Outside." Bo replied as he headed out. Jesse nodded and watched him go. When Bo passed Luke, he got up, went to the window, looked out, and watched where Bo was going.

Seeing he was going out to the barn, Luke got mad. Telling Jesse he'd be right back, Luke went outside. Bo walked into the barn and saw a tarp covering something in the middle of the barn. Going over to it, Bo lifted it up and saw it was an engine for a car. There were also several parts scattered around on a table next to it. Picking up one of the pieces, Bo looked at the engine and saw where it went. Because his father had taught him everything he knew about cars, Bo had no problems putting the part in its rightful place.

As Bo was working, he didn't notice Luke slip inside.

"What're you doing?" Luke asked in a hateful voice. Bo quickly turned around, nearly dropping the second part he was about to put on the engine. Luke glared at him as he waited for an answer. When he didn't get one, Luke stormed over to Bo. Luke grabbed the part and tools from Bo and put them back on the table.

"Don't touch my stuff without permission." Luke growled. Bo backed up, looking like a whipped pup.

"I…I'm s…sorry." Bo stuttered nervously.

"Get out." Luke ordered. When Bo didn't move, Luke got angrier. "Are you deaf or just plain stupid?"

"I'm not stupid." Bo replied.

"Could've fooled me. Anyone with enough sense would know better then to mess with something that ain't theirs."

"I wasn't hurting anything."

"And you expect me to believe that? I don't even know why Uncle Jesse let you come live with us. All you are is a waste of money and space. It's no wonder yer parents went and killed themselves. I can't blame them for wanting to get away from a whiney snot nosed brat like you."

"That's not true!"

"It is to! The reason they didn't give you away was because they was Dukes!"

"Shut up!"

"It's the truth, so get over it!"  
"I said shut up!" Bo screamed as he punched Luke the face. Luke was caught off guard and fell backwards, landing on a pile of hay. Luke lay still, dazed from the hit. Once he regained his senses, Luke got up, angrier then a rattlesnake. Bo knew if Luke caught him, he'd be in a world of hurt. Without hesitating, Bo took off running out of the barn, Luke hot on his heels.

Luke chased Bo into the woods surrounding the Duke farm. As Luke was running, he didn't see the old steel hunting trap under the leaves until it was too late. Letting out a pain-filled scream, Luke fell to the ground with a thud. Upon hearing the scream, Bo stopped and turned around. Seeing Luke on the ground, he quickly ran back over to him. Luke was holding his leg just about the steel jaws of the trap. Bo knelt down next to him and carefully moved Luke's hands to inspect the damage.

Getting a handkerchief out of his back pocket, Bo quickly tied it around Luke's leg just above the trap. Once it was secure, Bo got a firm grip on the trap and started to carefully pry it open. Once it was open, Luke moved away from it as Bo let it close back up. Once that was taken care of, Bo went to check Luke's leg. Using his pocketknife, Bo carefully cut the denim away from the wound. Wincing when he saw it, Bo took off his shirt and wrapped it up. When that task was finished, Bo moved a little and helped Luke up, making sure Luke didn't put any weight on that leg.

With Bo's help, Luke made it to the farm after twenty agonizing minutes of half walking and half hopping. Once they were within hearing range, Bo called for Jesse. Hearing his nephew calling, Jesse went outside. When he got out there, he was met with a sight he wasn't expecting. Seeing the youngest supporting the oldest, Jesse knew something was wrong. Hurrying over, Jesse saw Luke's leg.

"What in blue blazes happened?" Jesse asked, worried.

"Luke stepped in a fox trap." Bo said. "We gotta get him to the hospital, his leg might be broken." Nodding, Jesse helped Bo get Luke in the pickup. Daisy came out just as Bo was getting in.

"What's going on?" Daisy asked as she walked over.

"Luke hurt his leg, and I'm taking him to the hospital." Jesse said. Daisy looked in the cab at her cousins and nodded. Since there wasn't any room in the truck for Daisy, she had to stay behind. Watching her uncle get in the pickup and then drive away, Daisy waited until they were out of sight before going inside. The trip to Tri County emergency was fairly quick. The only thing that slowed them down was traffic in town. Once they were past that, it was smooth sailing.

When Jesse pulled to a stop at the emergency section of the hospital, he got out and helped Bo get Luke, and then together they got him inside.

A couple of doctors were standing next to the front desk, talking when the Duke men came inside. Seeing an emergency, the doctors quickly went over. After getting the details, they rushed Luke back to the ER. While Jesse filled out some paperwork for Luke, Bo went over to an empty chair and sat down. Looking around, he shivered a little when he remembered the last time he was in this specific hospital. Not wanting to relive that, Bo started thinking about something else. Not long after, Jesse came back over and sat down with a sigh. Bo looked at Jesse, and then looked down at the floor.

Nearly found hours after Luke was brought in, an elderly doctor dressed in a white lab coat walked over to Jesse and Bo.

"Mr. Duke?" The doctor asked in a deep voice. Jesse looked up, and then stood up.

"That'd be me, how's m'nephew?" Jesse asked as he shook the doctor's hand.

"He's lucky. There was no serious damage done to his leg, however, the bone was fractured and needed to be repaired. Because of the fact, he also needed stitches; we have given him a removable cast. The only time it is to be removed is when you or someone else is cleaning the wounds." The doctor said. Jesse nodded his head. "Is it alright if we see him?"

"Yes, he's in room 121. For you to note, we're going to keep him over night just as a precaution and to give him some time to rest."

"Alright, thank ya." Jesse said. The doctor nodded his head and went about his rounds. Jesse and Bo walked back to Luke's room, which they found with no problems. Going inside, they saw Luke was looking up at the ceiling. Jesse walked over to him, which caused Luke to look over.

Bo watched Luke and Jesse talk for a bit. When they were finished, nearly an hour later, Jesse walked over to Bo.

"Luke wants to talk to you." Jesse said as he walked out. Bo nodded and hesitantly went over to Luke.

"Uncle Jesse said you wanted me." Bo said quietly. Luke nodded and looked at him. Bo looked at Luke, thinking he was going to get yelled at or blamed. What Luke said next, really surprised him.

"Thanks." Luke said flatly.

"It no problem." Bo replied.

"Can I ask you something? Why'd you come back and help me? I mean I treat you like crap."

"You're my cousin. I couldn't just leave you there."

"Yes you could've."

"I know I could've, but I didn't. Luke, all I've ever wanted was for us to be friends. I know you hate me, for reasons I'll probably never know, but I still want to be your friend." Luke looked at Bo, starting to feel bad about the way he'd treated Bo over the years. Seeing that Bo wasn't going to say anything else, he spoke up.

"Bo, we um, we can be friends if you want." Luke said, surprising Bo even further. Bo looked at him, hoping he wasn't lying.

"Do you really mean it?" Bo asked.

"Of course I do." Luke said. When Luke said that, Bo smiled his first genuine smile in weeks.

"Thanks Luke." Bo said.

"No problem, buddy." Luke replied. Bo smiled wider when he heard Luke's words. The room got silent for a bit, before Bo spoke up.

"Luke, why'd you hate me before?" Luke looked at Bo. Looking down, he took a deep breath before speaking.

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**_Well folks, looks like next chapter is going to answer a question everyone has been asking. I'll try to update soon, and thanks to everyone who's been reviewing so far :)_**

**_Ya'll know who to feed, thanks!_**


	5. Chapter 5: Luke’s Confession

**Here's the chapter everyone's been waiting for! Sorry for the delay, but I got stuck half way through the chapter lol. I will hopefully get the next one done without any problems. Anywho, enough babbling. On to the story!****

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**Chapter 5: Luke's Confession**

Bo looked at Luke as he waited for him to start speaking. Luke looked at his younger cousin before speaking.

"I was jealous." Luke admitted.

"Jealous? Why?" Bo asked.

"Cause you got to keep your parents and get to know them, I didn't. Plus you got all the attention, even when you were little." Luke said. Bo looked at him, then looked down at his hands.

"I'm glad I knew my parents, but after the accident, I wish I didn't, cause then it wouldn't hurt so much. And I didn't mean to get all the attention." Bo said quietly as he looked at the floor. Luke looked at him, feeling lower then a bug in a 12-foot deep hole. Luke saw that Bo was clearly upset and sat up. Without hesitating, Luke pulled the younger boy into a comforting hug.

"I'm really sorry, Bo." Luke said as Bo started crying on his shoulder. Luke held Bo and let him cry. After several minutes, Bo quieted down and sat up as he wiped his eyes. Luke watched Bo, making sure he was going to be alright.

"You alright now?" Luke asked, just wanting to make sure.

"Yeah, I'm ok." Bo said with a quick nod of his head.

"Listen, I'm sorry for upsetting you like that." Luke said honestly.

"It's ok." Bo replied. "I heard they're springing you tomorrow." Bo said, changing the subject.

"That's good to hear." Luke said.

"Yeah, but I know Uncle Jesse's gonna make you stay in bed."

"Ain't that the truth. Look at the bright side, I get out of chores."

"Yeah, but that means more for me."

"That's true."

"Oh well, it'll give me something to do." Bo said with a silent sigh. Luke looked at him and nodded his head. For a couple of hours longer, Bo and Luke talked about small things as they got to know each other better. As they talked, they soon discovered that they had more in common then they thought they did.

They had gotten so wrapped up in their conversation, that they hadn't noticed Jesse come into the room.

Seeing his nephews getting along, Jesse couldn't help but smile. He hated to break up their conversation, but visiting hours were coming to an end and they had to let Luke rest. Walking over to the boys, Jesse put a hand on Bo's shoulder, causing the youngest Duke boy to look up at him.

"Come on kiddo, time to go home." Jesse said softly.

"I don't wanna go." Bo said.

"You can't stay here, the doctors won't let you." Jesse said.

"Yes they will." Bo said stubbornly.

"No they won't. If you don't behave yerself, the doctors are going to kick you outta here for good." Jesse said.

"I am behaving."

"Not when you ain't listening."

"I am."

"No yer not."

"Yeah huh."

"Bo, stop arguing and go before you get in trouble." Luke intervened.

"But I don't wanna." Bo said. Luke sighed and figured the only way Bo was going to listen, would be if he got mean.

"Beauregard, if you don't go now, so help me I'll get out of this here bed and throw you out!" Luke said, raising his voice. Bo looked at Luke, thinking he was really going to make good on his threat. Rising up, Bo walked out of the room. When he was out of sight, he took off running down the hallway.

Not knowing Bo had taken off, Jesse looked at Luke.

"You know I didn't mean it." Luke said.

"I know you didn't. I'll see you tomorrow, Luke." Jesse said as he patted his oldest charge's shoulder. Luke smiled at his uncle as he left, but that smile soon vanished when Jesse was gone.

"I sure hope Bo didn't take that the wrong way." Luke mumbled to himself as he closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Jesse looked around as he walked down the hallway, hoping to spot Bo. Thinking it was a little odd that he hadn't caught up to him yet, Jesse started to wonder where Bo could've wandered off too. While Jesse was searching for Bo, the runaway Duke had run out of the hospital and was running down the street, not having a clue as to where he was going. Truth was, he didn't care as long as he was away from Luke. Bo just couldn't believe that Luke had lied to him and made him think the older Duke boy was going to be his friend. Having been lied to about something like that had hurt the 15 year old more then the cold air hitting his face and making it hurt.

As he was running, he turned a corner, only to find himself slipping on an icy patch on the sidewalk. Bo let out a surprised yelp as he fell to the cold concrete. Instead of getting up right away, he laid there, panting as he tried to catch his breath from his long run.

Once he was rested, Bo crawled away from the ice patch, then stood up. He shivered as the icy cold wind blew and ruffled his blonde curls. Feeling that the temperature was going down, Bo looked around for some place to stay for the night.

When Jesse got outside, he expected to see Bo sitting in the pickup. When he didn't see his nephew, he got worried. Sighing, Jesse went around the parking lot, calling his nephew's name. Not getting any answers, Jesse became increasingly worried. Going back inside, Jesse prayed that Bo was wandering around the hallways. After getting no's from everyone he asked, Jesse knew that Bo wasn't inside. Going back outside, Jesse hurried over to the pickup and got in. He started the engine and headed out, hoping to find Bo.

While Jesse was searching for Bo, Bo wasn't having much luck finding a place to stay. He was actually starting to regret leaving, especially as the temperature seemed to fall again and the wind started blowing harder. Thinking it couldn't get any worse, Bo sighed when it started snowing. The snowfall was light at first, but within five minutes, it was hard for anyone to see. As the snow covered the roads and sidewalks, drivers in their vehicles were starting to have trouble seeing the road and keeping their vehicles on it.

Several people had to jump out of the way as cars and trucks skidded through traffic lights and stop signs, unable to stop due to ice and snow on the roads. Seeing all the out of control vehicles and the people jumping out of the way, Bo decided to play it safe and stop. He stood in front of an old thrift shop as he watched the events unfold in front of him. With a sigh, Bo sat down and tried to stay warm as the snow kept falling and the wind kept blowing.

Meanwhile, Jesse was slowly closing in on Bo's position. Being less then two blocks away, the ride which would've normally taken only a few minutes to complete, ended up taking Jesse nearly an hour to complete because of the roads and backed up traffic. By that time, Bo had started walking back the way he'd come and the snow had slowed down to just a few flurries.

As Bo was walking, he saw the familiar outline of Jesse's old pickup truck in the distance, slowly getting closer. Bo was half tempted to turn around and go another way, but decided against it. With a sigh, Bo stopped walking and waited for Jesse to pull up.

Not even five minutes after Bo stopped walking; Jesse spotted him and stopped the truck before quickly getting out and hurrying over to his nephew.

"Bo!" Jesse called as he hugged his nephew tightly. Bo hugged his uncle back, but nowhere near as tight. "Bo, where have you been?" Jesse asked the worry still clear in his voice.

"Walking." Bo replied.

"Why did you take off again?" Jesse asked. Bo looked away, not wanting to reveal the reason why. With a sigh, Jesse put two fingers under Bo's chin and gently made the boy look at him.

"Now Bo, why did you take off?" Jesse asked calmly.

"Cause." Bo replied.

"Cause isn't a good reason." Jesse said. Bo sighed, regretting stopping to wait. After a bit of hesitation, Bo finally decided to answer the question.

"Luke lied to me." He said, sounding very hurt.

"Oh Bo, Luke didn't lie. He told me after you left that he didn't mean it. He only said it so you'd go home and get some rest." Jesse said. Bo looked at Jesse to see if he was telling the truth. Seeing the honesty in Jesse's eyes, Bo knew he was.

"I'm sorry Uncle Jesse." Bo said, feeling ashamed of himself.

"Its alright, now lets get in the truck where its warm." Jesse said as he led Bo to the passenger side.

Once Bo was in and ready to go, Jesse got in the driver's side and started the long and slow trip to the farm.

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**I got a feeling there's gonna be some more bumpy spots in Bo and Luke's new friendship. Stick around to find out what they'll be!**

**In the meantime, the Terrible Trio are hungry for reviews again**


	6. 6: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

**Hey ya'll, sorry for the delay. I had a case of writer's block. Anywho, here's the next chapter. BTW, if anyone has any suggestions for what should happen next, feel free to let me know!**

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**Chapter 6: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words**

Just as the doctor said, Luke was released the following day. Jesse had gone to the hospital to pick up Luke by himself, Bo having asked to stay at the farm, while Daisy had gone to practice for a musical the high school was doing before winter break.

Jesse hadn't liked the idea of Bo being by himself, but Bo kept insisting he would be fine. After a small argument, Bo finally won, only because Jesse had to get going so he'd get to the hospital on time to get Luke. Once Jesse had left, Bo went out to the barn and sat in the hayloft. He opened the loft door a little and looked outside across the yard as he started thinking.

Bo had remembered what Jesse said to him the day before, but still felt as though his uncle was just saying that so he wouldn't worry. Bo never had many friends to start with, and the one or two he did have had moved away a year or so before the accident, so Bo was used to not having any close friends. The closest friends he had were his parents, but they were gone, which left an empty feeling in Bo's heart. He knew his uncle loved him, and so did Daisy, but it just wasn't the same as the way his parents loved him.

With a sad sigh, Bo closed the loft door and laid down under the hay to stay warm. Within a few minutes, tears were slowly making their way down the young teens face. Not wanting to think about it any longer, Bo closed his eyes and soon drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

A couple of hours later, Jesse pulled up to the farm with Luke riding shotgun. Getting out of the truck, Jesse walked over to the passenger side and helped Luke out. Because Luke was using crutches, he had a hard time getting to the house because of the snow and ice still on the ground. After getting Luke inside, Jesse helped him to the couch, where Luke quickly sat down.

"Are ya alright, Luke?" Jesse asked, standing next to the couch.

"Yes sir." Luke replied as he looked up at his uncle. Jesse nodded his head a little before speaking again. "Are ya hungry?" He asked.

"A little." Luke said, as he got comfortable. With a quick nod of his head, Jesse went into the kitchen to fix Luke something to eat, never once noticing Bo wasn't in the house. Luke however did notice.

"Uncle Jesse, where's Bo?" Luke asked.

"He's here somewhere. He might in his room." Jesse said as he brought in a ham sandwich. After handing the sandwich to Luke, Jesse went to the bedroom in search of the youngest Duke. When Jesse saw the door was open, he looked inside. Not seeing Bo anywhere, Jesse sighed and walked out.

"Did you find him?" Luke asked when Jesse came back out.

"No, he might be in the barn. I'm going to go check." Jesse said. Luke nodded his head as he watched his uncle put his coat on, and then head outside. Because of the tracks already leading to and from the barn, Jesse had no idea Bo had gone out there. Upon entering the barn, Jesse looked around for any sign Bo was in there. Not seeing him on the ground level, Jesse climbed the ladder to the loft. Because Bo was sleeping under the hay, Jesse didn't see him. Sighing, Jesse climbed back down, left the barn, and went back inside.

Luke had finished his sandwich and was watching TV, when Jesse came back in, looking mad.

"Any luck?" Luke asked.

"No, and if that boy ran off again, he's going to get a switching. I could understand it the first couple of times, but this is getting out of hand. If he ain't back in the next hour, I'm going to go find him." Jesse said as he hung his coat back up. Luke nodded his head and watched his uncle start on supper.

Exactly one hour later, Bo still hadn't come inside, which made Jesse angrier then he already was. After making sure the roast he was making wasn't going to over cook, Jesse grabbed his coat once again and told Luke he'd be back before he walked outside. Not even ten minutes after Jesse left, the sound of someone coming inside caught Luke's attention. Looking towards the door, Luke was surprised to see Bo come inside.

Bo stopped by the door and took his boots off before going into the living room. He walked past the couch, not even noticing Luke sitting there. As Bo passed by, Luke grabbed his arm, stopping him. Bo jumped and spun around quickly. He looked at Luke, trying to calm himself down.

"Where'd you go?" Luke asked when Bo was calmed down.

"I was in the barn." Bo said.

"No you weren't. Uncle Jesse went out there looking for you and you weren't there." Luke replied.

"I was to. I was in the hayloft sleeping." Bo said truthfully.

"Bo, don't lie. Uncle Jesse checked the barn and you were not there." Luke said, not believing him.

"I'm not lying!" Bo said, getting upset.

"Don't raise your voice to me!" Luke snapped.

"I didn't!" Bo said.

"Yes you did!" Luke said. Bo looked at Luke, tears starting to build up in his eyes. Without saying a word, Bo ran to his room and shut the door before throwing himself on his bed and letting tears fall freely. Luke sighed and shook his head as he went back to watching TV.

An hour or so later, Jesse came back in, looking both angry and worried. After hanging his coat up again, Jesse went to the living room. Luke was still watching TV and looked up when his uncle came in.

"Bo's back. He's in our room." Luke said, knowing his uncle would ask that. Jesse nodded his head and went to the boys' room. Not even bothering to knock, Jesse opened the door and walked in. Bo was sitting on his bed, his back to the door and an old picture in his hands. Jesse walked behind the teen and crossed his arms.

"Where have you been?" Jesse asked his angry and concern clear in his voice. Bo jumped and looked behind him at his uncle. Jesse looked at Bo, waiting for an answer. When he didn't get one right away, he asked the question again, only a little more demandingly then before.

"I..I was in the barn." Bo said.

"Don't lie to me boy. Where were you?" Jesse asked again.

"I'm not lying. I was in the hayloft asleep." Bo said.

"I checked that barn and you were not there!" Jesse said, loosing his patients.

"Yes I was! I was in the loft sleeping." Bo said, once again getting upset.

"If you don't tell me the truth, I'll take you to the woodshed. Now, where were you? And I don't want none of this 'I was in the loft sleeping' hogwash, cause I know you weren't." Jesse said firmly. Instead of answering, Bo just looked at the picture in his hands, a single tear streaking down his face.

"I wish I was in that car too." Bo mumbled. Hearing his young nephew say that, Jesse forgot his anger, went over to Bo, and sat next to him.

"Bo, don't say that." Jesse said, trying to sound firm again.

"Why? It's true. I ain't good for nothing." Bo said. Jesse sighed and pulled Bo into a hug. Bo leaned against his uncle as he continued looking at the picture. Jesse looked at the picture and recognized it as the one his brother had had him take just that past summer. In the picture, the whole family, including Jesse, Daisy, and Luke, had gone on a fishing trip out of state for summer break.

Bo was standing between Jonathan and Sara, a grin on his face as he held a fish that was almost as big as he was. How Bo was able to hold it up as long as he did, Jesse could never figure out. Seeing a small drop of what looked like water fall onto the picture, Jesse looked at Bo. Seeing the tears falling down his nephew's face, Jesse reached up and gently wiped them away, his previous anger having been completely forgotten.

"Don't worry kiddo, things will get better. It might not seem like it now, but they will." Jesse said softly. Bo just nodded his head, wishing he could believe it now. Jesse held Bo until he felt the younger Duke calm down. "There now, you wanna come eat? Who knows when you've had a decent meal last." Jesse said.

"I'm not hungry." Bo replied.

"Bo, you gotta eat something. You won't do yerself any good if you end up starving." Jesse said.

"I'll eat later." Bo said as he rubbed his eyes.

"Alright." Jesse said with a sigh. Seeing that Bo looked tired, Jesse stood up. "Why don'tcha take a nap? I'll put a plate in the fridge for you."

"'Kay." Bo said as he laid down, the picture still in his hands. Jesse smiled sadly and covered Bo up before smoothing a strand of blonde hair out of his eyes. Bo looked up at Jesse and smiled a little before drifting off to sleep. When Bo was asleep, Jesse walked out of the room, shutting the light off and closing the door before he left. No sooner had the door closed, Bo hugged the picture close to his body as he slept.

Just as he said he would, Jesse put a plate of food in the fridge for Bo before he and Luke sat down at the table to eat. Like usual, dinner was quiet, since there really wasn't a lot to be said. After dinner, Luke had offered to help clean up, but Jesse refused to let him and told him to go to bed. With a sigh, Luke grabbed his crutches and headed to bed.

When Luke entered the room, he went over to his nightstand and turned on the small lamp that sat there. When the room was lit up, Luke looked at Bo and noticed the picture that he had in his hand. Luke decided to look at it and gently took it from Bo's hand. Luke sat down on the edge of his own bed and looked at the picture. Looking at it, Luke remembered that day like it was yesterday.

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Jonathan and Sara had been planning a family vacation for a few months. They had only recently gotten enough money together to go some place nice. Since fishing was something the whole family liked to do, Jonathan and Sara agreed to go on a fishing trip. _

_A couple of days before they planned to leave, Jonathan called up his brother, Jesse, asking if him and the kids would like to come. Naturally, Jesse said yes and after he finished talking to his brother, Jesse went to tell Luke and Daisy to start packing. After they were ready, Jesse and Luke loaded up the truck, while Daisy double checked that they had everything they'd need for the weekend and the two day stay at Jonathan's. Once they were ready, the kids got in the old pickup, while Jesse drove._

_It had taken them an hour or so to get to Jonathan and Sara's. Once there, Jonathan greeted the Hazzard county Dukes and led them inside. Bo had gone to his room when he saw his uncle pull up, knowing Luke would be with them. When Daisy got inside, she went to the kitchen to help Sara fix lunch for everyone._

_After Luke, Jonathan, and Jesse got everything in from the truck, Jonathan led Luke to Bo's room, since he'd be sharing with him. Jonathan wasn't surprised to find Bo's door closed and locked when he tried to open it. Sighing, Jonathan knocked on the door._

"_Bo, open the door." Jonathan said. A minute later, the sound of a lock clicking let Jonathan know that the door was unlocked. Turning the doorknob, Jonathan opened the door and stepped inside, Luke following. _

_Bo was sitting on his bed, looking at a car magazine, pretending to not notice his father and cousin come in._

"_Bo, Luke's going to be sleeping in here until Saturday." Jonathan said._

"_Whatever." Bo replied. Jonathan sighed and let Luke walk inside. Luke put his suitcases on the floor near the door and looked around the room. When Jonathan left, Luke looked at Bo and frowned. Bo wasn't even paying attention to him, so he didn't notice. Grumbling, Luke walked out of the room, leaving Bo alone._

_The two days passed by quickly. On Saturday morning, the Dukes were up early. After packing everything that they'd be taking with them, the Dukes were ready to hit the road._

_The entire trip itself took nearly all morning. Around noon, the Dukes arrived at their destination, which happened to be a large lake that had a small river that ran into the Gulf of Mexico. Jonathan rented a couple of boats, one for him, Sara and Bo, and the other for Jesse, Luke and Daisy. After paying for the rentals, the Dukes were on their way. _

_Most of the afternoon all anyone got were a few nibbles and a few small fish not even worth calling a fish. Around five, Jonathan was about to call it quits for the day, when Bo yelled that he had a bite. Jonathan watched as Bo fought to reel in the fish. After what seemed like hours, but was only a few minutes, Bo had brought a very large carp aboard the tiny boat. As the large fish was jumping and struggling to get back to the water, Bo had to practically lay on it to hold it still long enough to get the hook out of its mouth. _

_When that task was done, Jonathan congratulated Bo on a job well done. Bo was grinning like the Cheshire cat at his catch. When the Dukes got back to shore, Jonathan helped Bo get his fish out of the boat. Once that was done, Jonathan and Sara stood next to Bo while Jesse got out a camera and took a couple of pictures. _

_The following day had gone much like the previous day had started and ended just the opposite. The Dukes had been having a good time and didn't really care if they caught any fish or not. After the fishing trip was over, the two Duke families went their own ways. Jesse, Luke and Daisy going back to Hazzard, while Jonathan, Sara, and Bo went back to their home._

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When Luke came out of the flashback, he sighed silently and put the picture back in Bo's hand. After getting into his night clothes, Luke got in bed and looked up at the roof for awhile before sleep finally claimed him, dragging him into a dreamless slumber. 


	7. Chapter 7: Running Away

**Hey ya'll, sorry for the delay. A lot of stuff has come up at home, and I haven't had much time to write. If all goes well, I hope to have the next chapter up by Friday. **

**Here's a virtual cookie to those who've taken the time to review! 

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Chapter 7: Running Away

Two weeks passed by slowly in Hazzard. Luke's leg had healed enough that he was able to walk around without crutches, but only for a short period of time. Usually that time was up when Jesse caught him, but sometimes his leg would start hurting, forcing him to sit down. Bo tried to help Luke out the best he could, not wanting to get on Luke's bad side again. So far, it had been working and Luke hadn't been yelling at him or threatening to hit him like he did before the accident.

One day, while Jesse was in town and Daisy was at a friend's house, Bo and Luke were at the farm alone. Luke was lying on the couch, watching a movie, while Bo was sitting in Jesse's favorite chair, doodling. When Bo and his father hadn't been messing with cars, his mother had taught him how to draw and paint. Art wasn't as exciting to Bo as cars and racing were, but it was something he liked to do in his spare time. And because he'd been taught by a professional and had practiced a lot, he was pretty good at it. Even though what he drew was really well drawn, Bo rarely ever showed anyone what he drew. In fact, the only people who knew he could draw at all were his parents.

With a sigh, Bo finished his drawing and got up. Walking past Luke, Bo went to his room and hid the picture under his mattress with the rest of his artwork. Once he was sure it was hidden where no one but him could find it, Bo put the pencils back where he got them from, before going to the kitchen. Luke watched Bo go, wondering what he was doing. As Bo was rummaging through the refrigerator, Luke got up and hobbled into the kitchen.

"What'cha doing?" Luke asked curiously. Bo jumped and hit the back of his head on the inside of the refrigerator. Turning around, he practically crashed into Luke, accidentally bumping his bad leg. Luke let out a pain cry and stumbled back, falling to the ground. In his attempt to break his fall, Luke grabbed the tablecloth on the kitchen table, sending it and everything that was on it crashing to the ground. When it got silent, Bo hurried over to Luke and tried to help him up, but because Luke's leg was hurting something fierce, he ended up snapping at his younger cousin. "Damnit Bo! Can't ya do anything right?!" Bo looked at Luke, looking like a whipped pup.

"I..I'm s..s..sorry." Bo tried to apologize. Luke got up and stood on his good leg. Raising his hand, he acted as if he was about to hit Bo, causing the younger boy to flinch. Seeing Bo flinch, Luke lowered his.

"Clean this up then get out of my sight." Luke growled. Seeing the younger boy wasn't going to move, Luke added the word 'now' in his most demanding voice. That time Bo quickly started to clean up the mess while Luke hopped into the living room. When the mess was cleaned up, Bo went to his room and closed the door.

Getting his backpack out from under his bed, Bo started packing up some clothes and snacks that he had stashed in his dresser. After that was done, Bo grabbed some paper and a few pencils along with a mini pencil sharpener and put them into his bag as well. After he was done packing, Bo went over to the window and slid it open.

He picked up his backpack and put it on his back before he proceeded to climb out the window. Once his feet were on the ground, Bo reached up and closed the window before taking off across the yard and going into the woods. He had no idea where he was going to go, but at the moment, he figured anywhere was better then being in the same house with someone who he thought hated his guts. As Bo was running, he was steadily getting further from the farm and from what he thought was the worst place on Earth.

A couple of hours passed before Luke was calmed down enough to think straight. As he recalled what he said and how he had acted towards Bo, the more he regretted saying what he did. He knew it was his fault in the first place, since he was the one who had startled Bo. Sighing, Luke got up and with the aide of the crutches this time, made his way to their room. Seeing the door closed, Luke knocked a couple of times. When he didn't receive an answer, he thought Bo was asleep. Opening the door enough to see inside, he saw that Bo wasn't in there. Knowing Bo could move quietly if he wanted, Luke thought that Bo had left the room and was somewhere else in the house. Moving away from the door, Luke started to search the house.

When he came up empty handed, he started to worry. Realizing Bo must've run off, Luke went to the old CB that was kept in the house. Picking up the mic, he pressed the button on the side and prayed that his uncle was listening.

"Uncle Jesse, this here's Luke, you got your ears on, comeback?" Luke called. After a minute, the CB crackled to life.

"This here's yer uncle Jesse, what can I do fer ya, Luke?" Jesse asked.

"Uncle Jesse, I think Bo took off again." Luke said the worry clear in his voice.

"Alright, I'll be there soon as I can. I'm gone." Jesse replied. Luke put the mic down and ran a hand through his dark hair. 'Bo, where are ya, little cousin?' He thought to himself.

Meanwhile, outside of Hazzard, Bo was trying to decide which way to go, knowing he couldn't stick to the roads any longer, that is if he didn't want to be caught. After picking a direction, he started walking again. After nearly two hours of walking, Bo finally arrived at a small town. He didn't recognize the town as being one he'd ever visited. Walking around, Bo hoped to find a place to stay for the night. After walking around for most of the day, Bo finally came across an old abandoned house, which sat on the farthest edge of town, about a mile from the county line.

Going up to the old wooden door, Bo looked at it, not entirely sure if he wanted to go inside. A sudden gust of icy cold wind quickly made him make up his mind. Gripping the old, cold, and rusty door handle, Bo forced it to turn. Once the door slowly swung open, the hinges creaking eerily, Bo peeked inside. The inside of the old house was dark and dusty. Cobwebs hung on everything from the ceiling, to the remaining furniture, which was covered in dust.

Bo shuddered a little, not only from the cold, but also from the way the house looked. To him, it looked haunted. Swallowing his fear, Bo walked inside and looked around. As Bo walked around, the floorboards creaked and groaned in protest to his weight. Half way inside, the door slamming shut behind him was enough to startle Bo.

"M...maybe this wasn't such a good idea." Bo said to himself. Walking over to the dust covered couch, Bo sat down on it. However, the very second Bo sat down, the couch shot forward, stopping abruptly, throwing Bo to the floor. Bo quickly got up and backed away, bumping into a lamp, which fell over and landing with a crash. Bo screamed and ran out of the room. Finding himself at the bottom of a large staircase, Bo looked up into the darkness. Gathering up his courage, Bo started climbing the stairs in hopes of finding somewhere to hide for the night.

Once at the top of the stairs, Bo went into the first room he came to, which was the master bedroom. Like the living room, the furniture was covered in cobwebs and dust. The window had been busted out, and the curtains hanging on it were tattered and torn. Walking over to the bed, Bo sat down on it and looked around nervously. Everything seemed quiet and peaceful, but Bo didn't let his guard down. Bo was just about to lie down on the bed, when something reached out from under the bed and grabbed Bo's ankle and pulling him off the bed. Bo landed on the ground with a grunt, and then started trying to get away from whatever had him and was pulling him under the bed.

When Bo finally got free, he was barefoot, save for his socks. Getting to his feet, Bo ran out of the room, not once hearing the giggling coming from under the bed. Bo ran down the long hallway, swearing he heard footsteps behind him. Trying the first closed door he came to, Bo found it was locked. Looking around, Bo saw he was cornered.

Taking a deep breath, Bo took off running back the way he'd come, hoping to pass whatever was chasing him. Luck was on Bo's side and he passed his pursuer and made it to the top of the stairs. Bo stopped long enough to see if he was being followed. Seeing he was, Bo was about to go down the stairs, when a spider came down on his arm.

Having a fear of spiders, Bo screamed and brushed it away as he took a step backwards. When Bo felt nothing but air under his foot, he tried to grab something to stop his fall, but nothing was within reach. Bo tumbled down the stairs, coming to a stop against the wall at the bottom. Having been knocked out cold, Bo didn't notice his pursuer coming down the steps.


	8. Chapter 8: A New Friend

**Hey ya'll. I know your tired of my excuses for not updating sooner, but life has still been hectic, especially this past 2 weeks.**

**Since I never know what my schedule is gonna be, I'm not gonna make anymore dealines for myself, so I'll post the next chapter soon as I get the chance to work on it (which I hope is soon.) Anywho, enough babbling from me, enjoy the chapter!**

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**Chapter 8: A New Friend**

When Bo awoke, the first thing he noticed he was laying on a bed. Sitting up, Bo rubbed his head as he looked around. Seeing he was in the master bedroom again, he started to panic. Getting up, Bo hurried to the door, only to be stopped by a boy a couple of years older then he was, who was accompanied by two younger boys and a girl the same age as Bo.

"Where do you think your going?" The oldest boy asked.

"Sammy, leave him alone. Can't you see he's terrified?" The girl said.

"Well, he shouldn't be here. He needs to go back home to his parents." The boy named Sammy said. At that, Bo looked away, then pushed past Sammy and ran out of the room.

"Smooth move Einstein!" The girl said as she pushed Sammy away and went after Bo. Sammy rolled his eyes and followed with the two smaller boys.

Bo found himself in front of a closet. Opening the door, Bo walked in and shut the door behind him. Sitting down in a corner, Bo started crying. Hearing sobbing, the girl followed the sound to the closet. Opening the door, the girl saw Bo. Feeling bad for helping to upset him, the girl walked in and sat next to him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" The girl asked. When the only answer she got was a hiccup, she put a slender arm around Bo. Instinctively, Bo leaned against the girl for comfort. When Bo calmed down some, the girl repeated her question.

"I..I just got scared is all." Bo lied.

"Uh huh…now, why don't you tell me the truth? ' Cause Hunny, you can't tell a very good lie." The girl said. Bo looked at her, his blues red and wet from crying, but remained silent. At that same moment, the three boys walked to the entrance to the closet and watched Bo and their sister, Sara.

"Sara, just face it, he ain't gonna talk. He's to chicken too." Sammy said.

"Samuel! Stop saying that! You three scared him half to death and now you got enough nerve to call him a chicken!" Sara said non-to-happy. Sammy just rolled his eyes and walked away, leaving his sister and two younger brothers with Bo. Without so much as a single word, Bo got to his feet and walked out of the closet, heading for the stairs. Bo got half way down, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he looked up into the dark brown eyes of Sara.

"Are you ok?" Sara asked.

"Yeah…I'm ok." Bo replied.

"I'm really sorry about everything. My brothers aren't the most intelligent people in the world."

"It's alright. I really shouldn't have been here anyway."

"If you don't mind my asking, why were you here?"

"I ran away."

"From home?"

"It wasn't home."

"What do you mean it wasn't home? Aren't your parents worried about you?"

"No." Sam looked at Bo oddly.

"Why wouldn't they worry?" Sam asked.

"I don't wanna talk about it." Bo replied.

"It might help if you do talk." Sam said. Getting annoyed, Bo looked face to face with Sam.

"I said I don't wanna talk about it!" Bo practically yelled. Without another word, Bo turned and ran down the remainder of the stairs. Sara sighed and sat down on the stairs. Seconds later, Sam came downstairs, going past Sara and going after Bo. The next thing Sara knew, she was hearing yelling and fighting, followed seconds later by the sound of something breaking. Hurrying downstairs, Sara saw her brother and Bo wrestling on the floor.

Sammy! Stop it!" Sara yelled as she ran over to the fighting boys. She tried to pull her brother off Bo, but wasn't strong enough. Only when he saw blood running down Bo's face, did Sam actually stop. Getting up, Sam picked up Bo by the back of his shirt and dragged him to the front door, where he threw him out into the snow.

"No one and I do mean no one yells at my sister and gets away with it." Sam said as he kicked some snow and ice on Bo. Bo slowly picked himself up and tried to get his nose and lip to stop bleeding. Without a word, Bo got to his feet and started walking away, leaving a small trail of blood in the snow that had dripped off his hand. Using his shirt, Bo pressed it against his nose and lip. Sara watched as Bo walked away, sighing sadly.

Turning, she gave her brother a dirty look, and then went inside. When Bo was far enough away from the house, he sat down under a tree, shivering. By then he'd gotten his nose and lip to stop bleeding, which he was thankful for.

Bo had been just about to doze off, when he felt something cover his shoulders and back. Looking up, he was surprised to see Sara standing there.

"I'm really sorry about what my brother did." Sara said as she started to gently clean Bo's lip with a handkerchief. Bo winced, but didn't move away, his body to sore and cold to move. When that little task was done, Sara sat next to Bo, then put an arm around his back, and pulling him close to warm him up. Bo didn't say anything; he just leaned against Sara, soon falling asleep.

Knowing Bo couldn't stay out in the cold, Sara did the only thing she could, and that was to drag him back to the house. The task was hard and tiring, since Bo was heavier then she was, but eventually Sara got him back to the house. Once back, Sara put Bo on the old couch and hurried upstairs to retrieve a few blankets and a pillow. Coming back downstairs, Sara gently draped blanket after blanket over Bo before carefully lifting his head and placing the pillow under it.

Once Bo was taken care of, Sara ran out of the house, heading to a friend's house down the street to get a heating blanket to help warm Bo up. While Sara was gone, a local sheriff's car was pulling up outside the house. Having gotten several complaints about kids playing in the old house and making to much noise, sheriff Big Ed Little went out to investigate.

Stepping out of his car, Sheriff Little walked up to the front door and opened it. stepping inside, he got out his flashlight and switched it on, then shone it around the front room, stopping when he saw a kid on the couch. Not being a fan of children, Little walked over to the sleeping form and shook his head. Reaching down, Little grabbed Bo's shirt and pulled him off the couch. Being as exhausted as he was, Bo didn't even stir.

Frowning, Little drug Bo out of the house and threw him in the backseat of his car after cuffing his hands behind the back. Slamming the door shut, Little got in the driver's seat and headed to the Chickasaw County jailhouse.

Back in Hazzard, Jesse had just arrived back to the farm and was busy setting up a plan with Luke to search for Bo. Upon agreeing that Luke would stay at the farm and listen in on the CB and be there just incase Bo came back, Jesse gathered up several of his and Luke's friends to look for the missing Duke.

Once ready, everyone, except Luke, headed out. Jesse headed for the county line leading into Chickasaw, all the while keeping a sharp eye out for Bo while the others searched the county.

Back at the jailhouse, Sheriff Little had woken Bo up and was now calling the Hazzard County orphanage, since it was the only one nearby, after having been told Bo had no family. Once the arrangements had been made to take Bo back the next day, Sheriff Little went downstairs to give Bo his dinner.

Bo was sitting on the old hard cot in the corner of the cell, his knees up to his chest and his face hidden in them. Around his shoulders was a thick blanket one of deputies had brought down for him after seeing how much he was shivering.

"Alright kid, here's your dinner. Beans, bread, and water." Little said as he opened the cell door and walked in. after sitting the tray down on the floor, he walked out, locking the door behind him.

Not being the least bit hungry, Bo just sat still. Shaking his head irritably, Little went back upstairs, leaving a cold and lonely Duke boy alone once again.


	9. Chapter 9: Home Again

_Well, this here's the last chapter. Thanks to all of you who's stuck with me through this story and a special thanks to those who've reviewed! Cookies for_ _you! I know this chapter is short, but I was ran out of ideas for this lol. If I ever get anymore, who knows? I may do a sequel or even redo this chapter and make the story longer. But who knows?_;)

_Anywho, enough babbling, onto the story!_

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**Chapter 9: Home Again**

When Jesse arrived in Chickasaw, the first place he went was to the sheriff's department. Finding a place to park, Jesse got out of his truck and headed inside. Spotting the sheriff sitting at his desk, Jesse approached him.

"Excuse me sheriff, but I need to know if you've seen a boy with blonde hair and is about this tall." Jesse said, holding his arm up to show Bo's height. Little looked at Jesse for a moment as he racked his brain.

"As a matter of fact, I have. I just arrested someone that fits that description, not to long ago." Little replied.

"May I see him?" Jesse asked the hope clear in his voice.

"I don't see why not, but only for a few minutes." Little said as he stood up. Leading Jesse downstairs to the cells Little stopped in front of the one that held Bo. Stopping in front of the cell, Jesse looked at the figure on the cot.

"Bo?" Jesse called out softly. Hearing his name being called in a familiar voice, Bo looked up. Seeing his uncle standing there, Bo quickly got to his feet and crossed the short distance to the barred door. Reaching through the bars, Bo hugged his uncle the best he could. Putting his arms through the bars as well, Jesse hugged his nephew back.

"I'm so sorry for running away." Bo said after a minute. Not sure what to say, Jesse just nodded his head as he rubbed Bo's back. Looking over at the sheriff, Jesse spoke. "How much is his bail?"

"$100. Are you family?" Little asked.

"I'm his uncle." Jesse replied. Little raised an eyebrow as he watched Jesse and Bo closely. Figuring Jesse was telling the truth, Little nodded his head. "Alright, if you can pay the bail for him, then he's free to go."

"I can." Jesse said. Getting his wallet out, Jesse counted out all the money he had, which luckily for Bo, was exactly $100. Handing the money to the sheriff, Jesse waited for him to unlock the cell door. Once he did, Jesse helped Bo out. Feeling ashamed of himself, Bo kept his gaze fixed on the floor. After thanking the sheriff, Jesse led his nephew outside.

Once in the truck, Jesse headed for Hazzard, not saying a single word to Bo.

After nearly an hour of driving, Jesse finally arrived back at the farm. Hearing a car pull up in the drive, Luke got up as quick as his leg would allow. Hobbling over to the kitchen window, Luke looked outside. Seeing his uncle was back, Luke headed for the door, not noticing Bo was with him. Bo wordlessly got out of the pickup and headed inside, shivering slightly from the sudden change in temperature. Seeing Bo get out of the truck, Luke stopped short of the edge of the porch.

"Bo?" Luke asked hopeful. Hearing Luke's voice, Bo's head snapped up and his eyes got wide. Backing up a couple of steps, Bo turned to run only to run into his uncle.

"Bo, you can't keep running away." Jesse said softly.

"He…he's gonna yell at me again." Bo said nervously.

"No he's not. In fact he's worried about you." Jesse said.

"No, he hates me." Bo replied, shaking his head.

"Bo, listen to me, Luke doesn't hate you. He's been worried sick about you." Jesse said honestly.

"Bo, Uncle Jesse's right. I was worried about you," Luke said as he approached his cousin and uncle. "I felt so bad about yelling at you like I did. I had no right to say what I said. It was just an accident and I had no call to overreact like I did. I hope you can forgive me." Bo looked at Luke as he spoke. Seeing how upset he was getting, Bo knew he had to be telling the truth. Biting his lip, Bo stepped away from Jesse and stepped over to Luke. "I hope we can still be friends." Luke said seeing Bo stop in front of him.

"It…its ok Luke. I'm not mad." Bo said, looking up at the slightly taller Duke. Luke smiled and held his arms out for a hug. Smiling a little, Bo closed the gap between him and his cousin, hugging him.

"I'm truly sorry Bo…for everything I've done to you." Luke said as they hugged.

"I forgive you cousin." Bo replied back. Stepping back, Bo and Luke looked at each other. "Friends?" Bo asked, holding out his hand.

"Friends." Luke said, taking Bo's hand and shaking it. Smiling at his nephews, Jesse headed inside, knowing they'd be fine.

From that day forward, Bo and Luke Duke were the best of friends. It was a rare sight to see one Duke Boy without the other around. Although they fought on occasion, Bo always knew his and Luke's friendship would be as strong as before, if not stronger. And for the first time since his parents' passing, Bo Duke was truly happy, smiling a smile of genuine happiness to those around him. Even though there would always be a hole in his heart where his parents' love had been, Bo knew he'd always have a family that loved him and a friend better then anyone could ask for.

Whenever Bo was feeling down, Luke was and would always there to lift his spirits up again. For that, Bo was thankful. Even though the terrible accident on that fateful night had taken Bo's parents and the first family he'd ever known, a friend was given to him. And to Bo, that friend was more special then anything.

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_A/N: Sadly, one of the terrible trio passed away last month. Godzilla and Iggy and myself, miss Skippy a lot and in a way we're dedicating this final chapter to our fallen friend. _


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